End of an Era? Brady and Rodgers Future’s Unknown
While there are still two more weeks of exciting football left, it is important to recognize that two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time may have played their final game in the divisional round last week: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Both players are in completely different situations regarding their future, but all everyone wants to know is one thing, an answer. Whether that comes sooner or later is up to them, but despite that, let us dive into each player and give an outlook on what may happen.
Tom Brady
At age 44, it is unheard of what Tom Brady is doing. It is one thing to be in the league at that age, but to be playing at an elite level is almost unhuman-like. In his 22nd season, Brady set a career-high in passing yards at 5,316, while throwing 43 TD on a 67.5% CMP, the second-highest of his career, trailing only his legendary 2007 season in which he threw 50 touchdowns to only 8 picks. Brady led the Bucs to a 13-4 record and an NFC South title but unfortunately lost in the divisional round to the Rams. While unfortunate, Brady still has seven…. yes…. seven Super Bowls to lean on. It was truly an incredible season that people should not take for granted.
Before the game against the Rams, Brady had some candid comments regarding his future to the NBC crew, “I’d love to end on a Super Bowl…. But I think I’ll know when I know… But there’s a lot that’s inconclusive”.
He then followed up to mention his family and how he has taken that into consideration. On the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, he said, “It pains (Gisele) to see me get hit out there. And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband, and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad”.
As it goes for Brady, this is the first time that he has really even mentioned retirement. All of us, as fans, analysts, teammates, etc., expected him to play forever. These comments are an abrupt reality that he will not and that the end may be coming sooner rather than later. Brady has also been open that he does not want a “farewell tour” to put it in the simplest terms, so him announcing a final season would be unlikely. Despite all of this, there is still a chance he returns to the NFL and is a top 5 quarterback yet again. This year alone he might win the MVP award. As stated before, it is all truly up in the air at this point and there are no signs, hints or rumors of a decision leaning one way or the other, so it will be just a waiting game now for the greatest player to ever step on a football field.
Aaron Rodgers
Next up we have QB Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off yet another MVP caliber season and is in the running as much as Brady is. Rodgers threw 37 TD to just 7 INT in 16 games played, missing one due to COVID-19. He also threw for 4,115 yards and completed 68.9% of his passes, leading the Packers to a 13-4 record and home-field advantage through the NFC. Unfortunately, Rodgers met his kryptonite, the 49ers, who beat Rodgers and the Packers without scoring an offensive TD in the game. Rodgers has never beaten San Francisco in the playoffs and may not get another chance to.
Controversy has circled around Rodgers and the Packers for almost two years now. Starting with the drafting of QB Jordan Love, to the relationship issues with Rodgers and the front office, to Rodgers and his constant comments regarding COVID-19, it has been anything but a smooth ship in Green Bay. Despite all of this, you still have to acknowledge that Rodgers is an incredible football player and is going to go down as one of the greatest players of all time. Once the season ended, comments started to swirl about his retirement again, which he has mentioned in the past. Like Brady, most of it is still up in the air.
On his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Rodgers spoke about his future and what is next for him. He mentioned how he does not fear retirement and how it is truly up in the air. He also mentioned the state of the Packers in terms of what their plans are for the future, “Some of the factors are the direction of the team and the organization and how I feel like I fit in the future”.
Rodgers also mentioned he will not wait long to make his decision in an effort to put the Packers in the best position possible to move on from him, “I understand that my decision does impact a number of other people’s decisions and I want to be very sensitive to that. I’ll definitely make a decision sooner rather than later…”.
He mentioned the franchise tag deadline as a ballpark estimate because of the pending status of WR Davante Adams but stated he would not put a hard date on it, “There still is this thing called the franchise tag, which I don’t think 17 wants the franchise tag. No player ever wants the franchise tag, but that decision on that I believe is in late February. I think that should be enough time to make a decision by then”.
Unlike last season though, it seems that there are no issues between both Rodgers and the locker room, as it is solely going to be a business decision for both sides.
What’s Next?
There is a possibility that both players are out of the league next season, but also a possibility that they are both back. The true answer to what is next is, nobody really knows. Regarding Brady, it would seem more likely due to his age and his lack of comments in the past, but he has yet to commit to anything yet, so speculating about it would be an unfair and invalid assessment. As for Rodgers, there is a possibility that he goes to another team but ruled out retiring and then coming back a year later, similar to TE Rob Gronkowski and HB Marshawn Lynch. Like Brady though, he has not mentioned or rumored anything other than that playing next year is not guaranteed.
From the team’s perspective, the Buccaneers would need a quarterback immediately if Brady were to retire, putting them in a tough position unless they can land a big-time QB like Russell Wilson or Derek Carr. For Green Bay, it may be time to look in the mirror. Their last two QBs were Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and they only won a combined two titles in 30 years. That does not add upright. Regardless, QB Jordan Love would likely get a shot at the starting job, but it is going to be a completely different team next season with a ton of free agents. With all that being said, they can easily both turn around and run it back, but for now, we just sit and wait for decisions to be made.
Stats from profootballreference.com
Tom Brady comments from “Let's Go!” podcast, NBC, and CBS Sports
Aaron Rodgers comments from “The Pat McAfee Show”
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-By:Richie Dordas